Wimbledon is going to give e Ukrainian refugees free tickets to the tournament’s ‘Middle Sunday’ and donate 250,000 pounds ($307,100) to those affected by Russia’s invasion of the country.
The All England Club and the Lawn Tennis Association, the organizers of the grasscourt Grand Slam announced on Friday.
Ukrainian refugees in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth as well as their sponsors and charity delivery partners will be eligible for tickets while the donation of 250,000 pounds will be made to the Tennis Plays for Peace initiative and the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal on behalf of Wimbledon.
The championship begins on Monday.
“On the eve of The Championships, I believe it’s important that we acknowledge those that are suffering so greatly due to the unrelenting conflict imposed upon Ukraine,” LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said in a statement.
“They (Ukrainian refugees) will be joined on Middle Sunday by local residents, COVID heroes from the NHS and social care, and a variety of schools, charities, and community groups,” the statement added.
Wimbledon will be a 14-day tournament this year, with matches scheduled on Middle Sunday, traditionally a day off, as improved technology allows the organizers to get playing surfaces back in shape quickly.
Wimbledon is not using the free tickets as a gimmick but has followed suit on its threat of banning the Russian players from this year’s competition.
The move resulted in the tournament being stripped of ranking points by both the ATP and WTA.
